Pratt and Whitney GG4C Gas Turbine Air starter unit

WD Power have been actively involved in the servicing and maintenance of Gas Turbine Generator units that are used as emergency power generation assets on the Gold Mines in South Africa, which have now become critical for operation due to collapsing power utility reliability.

During an initial test run at a new site, one of the Gas turbine Air starter units failed, and upon inspection it was seen that due to lack of periodic air system maintenance and routine oil inspections that the high speed rotor bearings had failed.

An original AiResearch ATS 100 starter replacement was not an option as these units have become obsolete, so WD Power took it upon themselves to provide our client with a sustainable, long term solution as well as to repair the original unit.

A retrofit option was sourced that met the specification and the required modifications were made to accommodate the new unit, which delivered without failure. Further modifications were also made to the ACE Air Control valve system as the new starter operates at a different pressure range to the original OEM starter unit. The original unit was also repaired and booked into the stores as a back-up unit.

This retro fit adaptation has now become a future option to all our clients to ensure continuity and reliability on one of their most precious and critical assets.

Please contact us if you would like to know more about the technical aspects of this modification!

Original Starter		New Starter